Conservation and Sustainable Development Program

Since 1994, the Yachana Foundation has acquired over 4,300 acres of primary and secondary Amazon rainforest. The Ecuadorian Ministry of Environment has declared all of our land a Protected Forest.

Twenty percent of our Protected Forest and surrounding land owned by local farmers are recovering from logging and cattle ranching. We have started a program to rehabilitate these areas by replanting the secondary forest and pasture with native trees. This program speeds up the process of nutrient reintroduction in the soil, prevents soil erosion, and produces shade that kills the grass that took over after the areas were deforested. With the help of conservation volunteers working together with our local students, the secondary forest and pastures will once again become lush tropical rainforest.

To provide the seedlings that are used to replant these areas, Yachana is building an extensive native tree nursery. The native trees propagated in the nursery will be used for reforestation and in our sustainable agro-forestry projects. We are encouraging local farmers to reforest as a viable alternative to cattle ranching and logging, the two biggest threats to the remaining rainforest.

Conservation volunteers working in the program may:

• Gather seeds and seedlings for our tree nursery
• Work in the nursery mixing soil and caring for the seedlings
• Prepare areas of pasture and secondary forest for reforestation
• Reforest these areas with native tree species cultivated in the nursery

Over the years within the vicinity of Yachana Lodge we have developed an extensive network of trails used by tourists and researchers while they investigate and explore the forest. It is a full-time job maintaining these trails. Sometimes we ask volunteers to work with our staff to maintain the handrails, steps, and bridges found throughout the trail network.

**We require that volunteers speak conversational level Spanish. We are searching for volunteers with experience in Environmental Science, Engineering, Agriculture, Biology, Forestry, or Art.

For more information about volunteering with Yachana Foundation, e-mail: info@ecuaexperiencia.com.